18K Gold Price Per Gram Today
18K gold · live melt value
$104.73per gram
Calculate your gold
Melt value
—
What buyers actually pay
Melt value is what the metal is worth. It is not what anyone will hand you. Every buyer subtracts refining, assay, shipping, insurance and their own margin.
- Melt value 100% of melt
- Online refiner (mail-in) 75%–90% of melt
- Local gold buyer / jeweler 60%–75% of melt
- Pawn shop 40%–60% of melt
Enter a weight to see your estimate.
These ranges are estimates built from published buyer terms and commonly reported industry spreads — not a proprietary dataset, and not a quote. Your actual offer depends on the piece, the buyer and the day. See how we calculate this.
What this number actually means
18K gold is 75.0% pure gold — 18 parts in 24. That is a quarter more gold per gram than 14K, and it shows: 18K has a deeper, warmer color that is hard to mistake once you have seen the two side by side. It is the standard for fine jewelry across most of Europe and the karat you are most likely to find on an imported or designer piece.
The price above is the melt value of that 75% fraction at the current spot price. It is a commodity figure. It says nothing about who made the piece, and that is the single most important caveat on this page: 18K is the karat where brand value most often exceeds metal value. A signed bracelet from a recognized house can be worth several times its melt, and a refiner will pay you melt regardless.
So use this number two ways. If the piece is anonymous, broken or mismatched, it is your ceiling and the ladder below tells you what a realistic offer looks like. If the piece is signed, treat the melt value as the floor beneath which you should not go, and go find out what it is worth intact first.
18K gold by the unit
| Unit | Grams | 18K melt value |
|---|---|---|
| 1 gram | 1.0000 | $104.73 |
| 1 pennyweight (dwt) | 1.55517384 | — |
| 1 troy ounce (ozt) | 31.1034768 | — |
What typical 18K pieces are worth
| Piece | Typical weight | Melt value range |
|---|---|---|
| Designer wedding band European bands often heavier | 5–9 g | — |
| Signet ring | 8–16 g | — |
| Italian curb chain, 18 in | 12–25 g | — |
| Watch case, dress watch Movement and crystal excluded | 15–40 g | — |
| Cuff bracelet | 15–35 g | — |
| Pendant, medium | 3–8 g | — |
Compare every karat
| Karat | Gold content | Melt value / gram | Online refiner pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24K | 99.9% | $139.50 | $104.63–$125.55 |
| 22K | 91.7% | $128.01 | $96.01–$115.21 |
| 18K | 75.0% | $104.73 | $78.55–$94.26 |
| 14K | 58.3% | $81.45 | $61.09–$73.31 |
| 10K | 41.7% | $58.19 | $43.64–$52.37 |
Because 18K carries more gold per gram, mixed lots get expensive to guess at. If you have 18K and 14K in the same bag, separate them by stamp before you weigh anything. Buyers who weigh a mixed lot as one pile have every incentive to price the whole thing at the lowest karat they can find in it.
18K gold questions
How much more is 18K worth than 14K?
About 29% more per gram. 18K is 75.0% pure gold against 58.3% for 14K, so the ratio is 0.750 divided by 0.583. A 10 gram 18K chain therefore carries roughly the same gold as a 12.9 gram 14K chain. If you are comparing two pieces of similar size, the karat stamp matters far more than how heavy they feel.
Why is 18K more common in Europe than in the United States?
It is largely regulatory and cultural habit. Italy, France and much of southern Europe built their jewelry trade around 750 fineness, and Italian manufacturing in particular standardized on it. American jewelry grew up around 14K as the durable everyday compromise. That is why an imported designer piece is more likely to be 18K while a US mall-brand ring is more likely to be 14K.
What markings should I look for on 18K gold?
Look for 18K, 18KT, 750 or 0.750. Italian pieces frequently carry 750 alongside a small numbered maker mark in a lozenge shape. French pieces may carry an eagle head hallmark. Any of these indicates 75% gold, which is what this page prices.
Is 18K too soft for an engagement ring?
It is softer than 14K and will show scratches and wear sooner, particularly on a ring worn every day and knocked against desks and door handles. Many jewelers steer American buyers to 14K for that reason. It is not fragile, though, and plenty of fine jewelry is 18K and lasts generations with occasional polishing.
Will I get more for 18K if I sell it as designer jewelry?
Often, yes, and the gap can be substantial. 18K is the karat most used by houses whose name carries resale value on its own. If your piece has a recognizable maker mark, get it appraised or check completed auction results before you weigh it for scrap. Melting a signed piece destroys value that the metal price does not capture.
Do buyers pay a better percentage for 18K than for lower karats?
Sometimes marginally, because a given weight of 18K yields more recoverable gold per unit of processing cost. The effect is small and inconsistent between buyers. Do not assume a better percentage; ask for the offer in dollars, then check it against the melt value for your actual weight.
Before you accept an offer
Weigh the piece yourself, know its karat, and compare at least three buyers. The gap between the best and worst offer on the same lot of scrap gold is routinely larger than most people expect.